Spacecraft Build Engineer

The role

The Spacecraft Build Engineer will develop and scale manufacturing processes, tooling, and production systems for high-rate spacecraft builds. This role works across propulsion, avionics, and structural systems to drive manufacturability, yield, and rate.

What you will do

• Own the development and qualification of manufacturing processes for spacecraft components and assemblies
• Design and implement precision tooling and fixtures to improve quality, repeatability, and cycle time
• Drive high-rate production by optimizing processes, reducing takt time, and increasing throughput
• Develop and automate manufacturing and inspection processes to improve yield and consistency
• Lead the transition of hardware from development into production environments
• Partner closely with design engineering to drive design for manufacturability and influence vehicle architecture
• Troubleshoot manufacturing and integration issues, performing root cause analysis and driving corrective actions
• Simplify requirements and processes to reduce complexity, cost, and build time
• Support production scaling, factory layout, and manufacturing system development

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, manufacturing, materials, or related engineering field
• 3+ years of experience in manufacturing, production, or process engineering for complex hardware systems
• Experience with manufacturing process development and high-rate production environments
• Strong understanding of manufacturing techniques (welding, machining, forming, fastening, bonding, etc.)
• Experience with tooling and fixture design using CAD (SolidWorks, NX, or similar)
• Experience with design for manufacturability (DFM/DFMA)
• Hands-on experience with assembly, integration, or testing of mechanical or aerospace systems
• Ability to troubleshoot and resolve production issues in fast-paced environments
• Strong ownership mindset with ability to drive cross-functional execution

Nice to have

• Master’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, manufacturing, or related field
• Experience with high-rate or mixed-product manufacturing lines
• Experience with weld process development and inspection (including automation)
• Experience with propulsion, avionics, or structural system integration and testing
• Experience with process automation, robotics, or controls
• Experience using data systems (SQL or similar) to track performance and drive improvements
• Experience with failure analysis, PFMEA, or production system optimization
• Hands-on experience working directly with technicians on hardware builds

Benefits

• Equity in Apex
• 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision for you and your dependents
• $100k life insurance at no cost
• Starting at 15 days vacation, growing to 20+ days annually
• 10 paid holidays
• 100% match on first 3% and 50% on next 2% of 401(k)
• 8 weeks paid parental leave
• Childcare reimbursement up to $350/day for work-related travel
• Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks
• Monthly office socials, pickleball tournaments, run club, and gatherings

Before you apply

• Applicants must qualify as a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or individual granted asylum) or be able to obtain required export authorizations

About the company

Apex manufactures satellite buses at scale using software, vertical integration, and hardware designed for manufacturing. The company is a fast-growing startup that has raised more than $500M in funding.